Bids coordinator jobs in manchester
The Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, but ambitious grassroots charity run by and for women seeking asylum. WAST has a proud track record of providing a safe space for women to come together in solidarity and campaign for justice in an increasingly hostile environment.
We are looking for a Project Coordinator to play a key role in developing and delivering WAST’s women-led programmes. You will work closely with the staff team, management group (elected by members to define WAST’s priorities and organise activities), and our wider membership to ensure that projects reflect the needs and aspirations of the women who use WAST. WAST’s current priorities include delivering wellbeing activities (with a focus on trauma-informed approaches), running asylum information workshops, and strengthening our campaigning group. As Project Coordinator, you will help develop and manage initiatives that support these priorities. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is organised, collaborative, and passionate about supporting women seeking asylum to shape and lead the projects and initiatives they value.
About WAST
Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST) is a grassroots Manchester-based charity led by and for women who are seeking asylum and currently has around 170 members. WAST was founded in 2005 by one of WAST’s current board members, whilst fighting her own anti-deportation campaign, and became a constituted charity in 2014.
We provide a safe, supportive space where women can come together to build community, gain confidence, access peer support, and advocate for their rights. Women are at the sharp end of the ‘hostile environment’ with punitive government immigration policies and practice. WAST enables a process of empowerment through which women gain the confidence and strength to voice their experience and campaign for justice.
WAST is a place of hope and belonging with its core values of compassion, respect, inclusion and empowerment and its continuous development of its trauma informed peer support approach. WAST is proud of its pioneering work giving a voice to women seeking asylum and inspiring other women around the country to set up similar groups. WAST has been at the forefront of national campaigning against detention, has published three books and created two plays, giving voice to women’s experiences.
WAST runs weekly skill-building and wellbeing activities, a weekly drop-in session where women can access signposting and referrals to services, and a variety of external events throughout the year. Activities are identified and led by the WAST Management Group, elected by the membership and supported by WAST staff. WAST’s current priorities, as identified by the management group, include developing asylum information workshops, a range of wellbeing trauma informed activities, and advancing the campaign group.
Benefits
WAST offers a generous benefits package including 8% NEST employer pension contributions, 5 weeks’ annual leave and bank holidays pro rata, additional leave over Christmas, access to an Employee Assistance Programme and to regular external non-managerial supervision. Training relevant to role is available and flexible working is supported, where possible.
Application
To apply, email a CV and covering letter to the email provided. In the letter, tell us why you are interested in the post of Project Coordinator for WAST and the skills and experience you will bring, with reference to the Person Specification and Job Description. CVs will not be considered without a covering letter. Please ensure your CV and covering letter are maximum 5 pages combined.
Please note, the post is open to women only (exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1) and will require two references and an enhanced DBS check.
Deadline
Closing date for applications is 23.59 on Friday 21st November.
Interviews
Short listed candidates will be invited to interview over email. Interviews are planned for the week commencing 1st December and/or the week commencing the 8th December.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
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Job overview
The role will focus on growing the value of funding from large trusts and foundations globally, as well as from corporate foundations and institutional funders via consortium partnerships with larger conservation actors.
The role will oversee grant and contract management with existing organisational and institutional partnerships, as well as grow this portfolio through developing a robust pipeline of new opportunities, finding creative ways to secure visibility and first meetings, developing relationships, compelling funding applications and ensuring strong contract management oversight.
The role will lead a team of two, work collaboratively with fundraising colleagues based in the US and UK to secure visibility with and develop strong long-term partnerships with new Trusts and Foundations; and work closely with colleagues in Kenya to ensure strong project delivery and grant management. Responsibilities include:
- Lead the implementation of the Trusts & Foundations (T&Fs) programme with a particular focus on growing the portfolio of large T&Fs in the USA, UK and European markets;
- Work with fundraising colleagues across priority markets and with communications colleagues, using innovative and proactive approaches to business development and relationship building to unlock visibility opportunities and develop relationships with new prospects; in order to develop and maintain a strong pipeline of high-value funding opportunities.
- Continue to oversee the current ‘programme funding’ portfolio which includes existing institutional funding partnerships and corporate foundation relationships in Kenya, ensuring that ongoing and new opportunities where they exist are capitalised on.
- Collaborate closely with and provide technical expertise to Ol Pejeta’s Project Implementation function in Kenya to develop and embed ‘programme funding’ systems, policies, processes, to ensure that the organisation works to the highest standards in grant management;
- Oversee collaboration and co-working with Ol Pejeta’s Programme teams and other colleagues to ensure high quality project design content is translated into technical proposals and budgets for donors;
- Work closely with Kenya’s implementation function to support strong project delivery and contract management.
- As a Head of, actively contribute to team and department objectives through decision making and action on planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting.
Key Activities
- Support the Chief Fundraising Officer with overall strategy development, implementation and adaptation;
- Work closely with the Chief Fundraising Officer to ensure operational and budget planning, management and reporting of resources;
- Oversee the T&F team’s operational planning processes, annual reporting and core performance monitoring;
- Strategic coordination of multiple stakeholders in proposal development processes (programme experts, internal stakeholders, partners and donors);
- Build strong relationships across all departments of the organisation and with existing and new partners;
- Support the recruitment process/selection/appointment of fundraising staff across the department.
Strategic leadership delivery and management of Trusts and Foundations priority in the global fundraising strategy.
- Develop and implement tactics for T&Fs that support Ol Pejeta to meet its overall strategic objectives;
- Ensure that the relevant parts of the Fundraising strategy, planning and practice is adaptive to both internal and external changes and that the team adopts innovative approaches to its work;
- Effectively integrate T&F team objectives and outcomes into wider Ol Pejeta income targets and programme priorities.
Business development and management
- Proactively cultivate relationships with key prospects, donors and partners (with particular focus on US, UK and European markets);
- Network both internally and externally to ensure relevant stakeholder participation and intelligence gathering in various fora;
- Lead and coordinate proposal development, including budgeting, with programme teams and finance;
- Collaborate with Ol Pejeta’s communications and marketing department to ensure communication activities appeal to donor interests, promote our partnerships and help to position Ol Pejeta as a partner of choice;
- Research and share trends and intelligence on T&Fs, and develop relationships that strategically position the organisation to mobilise resources from new and existing donors.
Support effective grant & risk management and compliance
- Support the development and implementation of improved business policies to facilitate improved management of and accountability for T&F funding and other larger institutional partnerships;
- Provide quality assurance and technical backstopping on reporting and general compliance, in line with organisational and donor requirements;
- Guide the negotiation of strategic grants/contracts to ensure the organisation signs up to appropriate contractual requirements;
- Advise on the interpretation and application of donor rules, regulations, processes and procedures;
- Provide guidance and capacity building on grant cycle management to colleagues across the organisation.
People Management, Financial Management and Departmental contributions
- Provide inductions to staff across the organisation on T&Fs and institutional funding opportunity;
- Build, motivate and effectively collaborate with teams remotely;
- Conduct probationary reviews and annual performance management reviews for direct line management staff;
- Support the Chief Fundraising Officer to have oversight of the team budget lines;
- Work collaboratively with colleagues in the global fundraising team based in different geographical locations
- Contribute to overall departmental processes and initiatives;
- Act within the parameters set by the organisation on financial policies and procedures.
Capacity Building and Knowledge Management
- Ensure effective cross-functional collaboration to strengthen fundraising and grant management skills across the organisation;
- Oversee the development and maintenance of information systems and tools for sharing donor policies and guidelines, funding opportunities and best practice across the organisation;
- Keep pace with international developments and engage with other INGOs to keep abreast of opportunities and global trends in T&F fundraising.
Education, Language & Qualifications
- Bachelors or equivalent in a relevant field preferably Fundraising / International Development;
- Excellent verbal and written communication with fluency in English;
- Language skills in Swahili and German advantageous.
Essential Knowledge, skills and Experience
- Relevant experience working in an international NGO or philanthropy environment with diverse workforce;
- Experience in Trusts & Foundation fundraising across international markets;
- Demonstrated experience cultivating and managing relationships with trusts and foundation donors (or others) to secure six figure grants;
- Substantial experience cultivating and managing donor and stakeholder relationships;
- Exceptional interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills with demonstrable proactivity in business development;
- Strong technical proposal writing and budget skills;
- Strong ability to manage staff and influence team members remotely;
- Ability to manage and facilitate complex projects and processes;
- Experience working on the African continent with a deep knowledge of conservation and community development;
- Willingness to travel internationally as required;
- Willingness to be on call for donor enquiries out of hours.
Desirable Knowledge, skills and Experience
- Tendering and project management experience;
- Knowledge of conservation finance including the biodiversity credit market;
- Personal network of contacts and relationships in T&Fs;
- Experience in developing complex institutional funding bids;
- Understanding of developments in alternative finance for conservation;
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.

